Friday, May 24, 2013

Record 65Firearms Discovered This Week – This
beats our previous record of 50
guns. Of the 65 firearms, 54 were loaded and 19 had rounds chambered. See a
complete list and more photos at the bottom of this post.

Firearm Strapped to Prosthetic Leg of Passenger – A
passenger at Salt Lake City (SLC) received a pat-down after an anomaly was
detected during advanced imaging technology screening.During the
pat-down, officers discovered a fully loaded .22 caliber firearm inside his
boot and strapped to the prosthetic leg.The passenger was arrested by
Salt Lake City Airport Police on a state charge of “Carrying a Concealed Weapon
in a Secure Area.”

Grenades Discovered at (L-R) LAS, ATL, SLC

Inert Ordnance and Grenades etc. - We continue to
find inert hand grenades and other weaponry on a weekly basis. Please keep in
mind that if an item looks like a realistic bomb, grenade, mine, etc., it is
prohibited - real or not. When these items are found at a checkpoint or in
checked baggage, they can cause significant delays in checkpoint screening. I
know they are cool novelty items, but you cannot bring them on a plane. Read here and here on why inert items cause problems.

Three inert/replica/novelty grenades were discovered across
the nation this week in carry-on bags at: Atlanta (ATL), Las Vegas (LAS), and
Salt Lake City (SLC).

Stun Guns – 12 stun guns were discovered this week in
carry-on bags around the nation: two were discovered at Las Vegas (LAS), two at
Sacramento (SMF), and the others at Albuquerque (ABQ), Baltimore (BWI), Detroit
(DTW), Washington Dulles (IAD), Phoenix (PHX), San Francisco (SFO), San Juan
(SJU), and St. Louis (STL).

Items in the Strangest Places –It’s important to
examine your bags prior to traveling to ensure no prohibited items are inside.
If a prohibited item is discovered in your bag, you could be cited and quite
possibly arrested by local law enforcement. Here are a few examples from this week
where prohibited items were found in strange places.

A multi-tool was discovered inside the lining of a bag at
Guam (GUM).

A 3-inch knife blade was found concealed inside a DVD case
at Newark (EWR).

An anomaly was detected during advance imaging technology
screening at Tampa (TPA). During the pat-down, a razorblade was found concealed
in the lining of the passenger’s undergarment.

A razorblade was discovered concealed in the sole of a shoe
at Dayton (DAY).

What Not to Say at an Airport – Statements like these
not only delay the people who said them but can also inconvenience many other
passengers if the checkpoint or terminal has to be evacuated:

While presenting his identification to a travel document
checker, an Orlando (MCO) passenger stated: “I also have a bomb.”

During additional screening, a Houston (IAH) passenger told
the officer that the bottle of water in his bag was a bomb.

Unfortunately these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent
which is why we talk about these finds. Sure, it’s great to share the things
that our officers are finding, but at the same time, each time we find a
dangerous item, the throughput is slowed down and a passenger that likely had
no ill intent ends up with a citation or in some cases is even arrested. The
passenger can face a penalty as high as $7,500.00. This is a friendly
reminder to please leave these items at home. Just because we find a prohibited
item on an individual does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law
enforcement officer to decide. In many cases, people simply forgot they had these
items.

*In order to provide a timely weekly update, I compile my
data from a preliminary report. The year-end numbers will vary slightly
(increase) from what I report in the weekly updates. However, any monthly,
midyear, or end-of-year numbers TSA provides on this blog or elsewhere will not
be estimates.

Still waiting for Bob to comment on the incident where a female traveler waiting for her luggage was bitten by a TSA canine. I'm sure TSA will either find some way to blame the lady who was bitten or as in many previous cases TSA will continue to remain mute.

I'd like to hear about how many dangerous jars of homemade jam were confiscated or how many bottles of shampoo destined for bomb-making? I and most intelligent people would agree that guns and grenades are dangerous - it's the rest of the comedy that makes me angry.

It still amazes me that there are people who do _not_ understand the proper way to transport a firearm via an airplane. Come on folks, use the old gray matter. Box it in secure case. Tag it properly. Declare it as an 'item' at the check in counter. Pick it up at the other end. It's not that hard. It's not that expensive.

To SSSS: No applause was requested, the guns & comments are a reflection of the traveling public not TSA. To Annonymous #1: Let them focus on their job, get your own proof, contact the public affairs office of all the airports listed or local media. Moral of the story, is you both don't know what you don't know about maintaining national security.

OK, here are some things that you folks are missing.The dog handler, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, was employed by the Atlanta Police Department.While the dog is owned by the TSA and its financial support comes from TSA funds, it is the standard for these dogs to be handled by local law enforcement agencies.The Atlanta Journal-Constitution did get one thing wrong, TSA does not train the dogs. They are actually trained by the United States Air Force for the TSA.

As to “why” the dog bit her, if indeed that is what happened, so far we have only her word as to what happened. The Atlanta PD and the TSA are both reviewing the incident, and until that is done what would the point be in providing the public with information on an uncompleted investigation? These things take time, so find something else to busy yourself with until the professionals complete their work.

Now, as to 65 firearms being found on checkpoints, yep that’s as high a number as I have ever heard of. It might indicate that people can’t read the signs anymore, or don’t listen to the announcements, or are just plain stupid. Anyway you look at it this is an unacceptable situation and its growing. Maybe people should stop complaining about the rules and start reading them.

So, you think you have the right to yell "fire" in a crowded theatre? Last time I checked, freedom of speech did not include the right to create a potential emergency. I think we should all read the Constitution, especially before we get defensive about rights the majority of us did nothing to earn or protect.

No terrorists found. I suppose the blade in the shoe and the razor in the waistband were what? "

I don't know what they were. Since there was no reports of arrests I am going to go with they weren't terrorists. Just because they have something you consider to be bad does not mean they are going to do something bad. Guns and knives only kill when in the hands of bad guys. If the people with the guns and knives aren't the bad guys then there is nothing to fear.

Maybe people wouldn't distrust TSA if TSA started reading the Bill of Rights....

what most people are not aware of is that the 9th Circuit Court of the United States ruled on the search of passengers in airports back in 1973

In 1973 the 9th Circuit Court rules on U.S. vs Davis, 482 F.2d 893, 908, there are key pieces of wording that give the TSA its power to search essentially any way they choose to. The key wording in this ruling includes “noting that airport screenings are considered to be administrative searches because they are conducted as part of a general regulatory scheme, where the essential administrative purpose is to prevent the carrying of weapons or explosives aboard aircraft.ooopsss let me get this right.... this is before TSA????

Anonymous TSORon said...[blah blah blah] the dog is owned by the TSA and its financial support comes from TSA funds[blah blah blah]

And thus, the TSA is responsible for it.

As to “why” the dog bit her, if indeed that is what happened, so far we have only her word as to what happened.

Take the phrase 'female traveler waiting for her luggage was bitten by a TSA canine' and plug it into Google. The third result (http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/tsa-dog-bites-passenger-atlantas-hartsfield-jackson-airport-1C9904739) has a graphic picture of the bite. While I'm no expert on bites, there is no doubt something happened to her. Your "we only have her word" is... disingenuous at best.

The Atlanta PD and the TSA are both reviewing the incident, and until that is done what would the point be in providing the public with information on an uncompleted investigation?

How about Bob at least acknowledging the issue? A simple "Yes, I'm aware of it. It's being looked into" would go a long way.But, as usual, he just ignores it, hoping it'll go away.

These things take time, so find something else to busy yourself with until the professionals complete their work.

"...Anonymous said...So, you think you have the right to yell "fire" in a crowded theatre? "

Yes. Yes I do have that right. So do you. The Government can not prevent you from yelling anything you want.

The Government can arrest you if you cause a riot/panic and people are hurt or killed. That is not an limitation on the right but a consequence of the misuse of the liberties guaranteed by the right.

Everyone... please quit using the Shouting Fire argument. It is a poor example to use and has been discredited many a time recently. It does not demonstrate what you think it demonstrates, it only demonstrates how little you understand what a Right is and why we have a Bill of Rights in the first place.

"So, you think you have the right to yell "fire" in a crowded theatre?"

Was "theatre" a typo, or are you not using US English? Regardless, no you cannot yell "fire" in a crowded theater. However, you can discuss fires and even joke about them at a normal tone. The TSA would have you believe you can do neither at an airport in regards to bombs. I believe TSA will eventually be proven wrong.

"Last time I checked, freedom of speech did not include the right to create a potential emergency."

The charge, here in the US, would be something along the lines of "inciting panic."

"I think we should all read the Constitution..."

I have. Required reading in high school here in the US.

"...especially before we get defensive about rights the majority of us did nothing to earn or protect."

How do you know how many comments here are by people who served to protect those rights? I, for one, served in the USAF. Why did I serve, exactly? Why, to defend those rights that you, and other TSApologists, are so dismissive of.

"“[an administrative search is allowed if] no more intrusive or intensive than necessary, in light of current technology, to detect weapons or explosives, confined in good faith to that purpose, and passengers may avoid the search by electing not to fly.”"

The Davis court never envisioned technology that would look at our naked bodies.

TSORon said...OK, here are some things that you folks are missing.The dog handler, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, was employed by the Atlanta Police Department.While the dog is owned by the TSA and its financial support comes from TSA funds, it is the standard for these dogs to be handled by local law enforcement agencies.The Atlanta Journal-Constitution did get one thing wrong, TSA does not train the dogs. They are actually trained by the United States Air Force for the TSA.

As to “why” the dog bit her, if indeed that is what happened, so far we have only her word as to what happened. The Atlanta PD and the TSA are both reviewing the incident, and until that is done what would the point be in providing the public with information on an uncompleted investigation? These things take time, so find something else to busy yourself with until the professionals complete their work.

Now, as to 65 firearms being found on checkpoints, yep that’s as high a number as I have ever heard of. It might indicate that people can’t read the signs anymore, or don’t listen to the announcements, or are just plain stupid. Anyway you look at it this is an unacceptable situation and its growing. Maybe people should stop complaining about the rules and start reading them.

May 25, 2013 at 11:36 PM.......................TSA trains (or did train) service dogs. The only question I have is if the dogs are drug detector dogs or not. TSOron is wrong as usual. The next question is just why baggage claim needs to be screened for WEI. This area is no threat to the airplanes.

What is being questioned is the degree of the injury sustained. But injury or no injury the TSA dog attacked a person that was waiting for someone in baggage claim.

TSA claiming to find 65 firearms gives question to the accuracy of the TSA reports and knowing that honesty is not something TSA embraces makes it a fair question. If TSA really did find 65 firearms then that suggests that no one takes TSA as a deterrent very seriously.

Maybe people should stop complaining about the rules and start reading them.

May 25, 2013 at 11:36 PM

..............................

Tell you what TSOron, I'll read these rules on the same day that TSA publishes them.

Since you claim to be a security expert perhaps you can point out exactly where I can find a full and complete set of these TSA rules that you want me to read and that I must comply with when transiting a TSA checkpoint.

To Anonymous questioning how TSA has regulatory authority from 1973. Airport security existed in the US since around 1972. While true TSA has only been screening since 2002 there were contract screeners for 30 years prior. It was codified as an administrative search since the FAA and airline contract of carriage prohibited certain items from being on an aircraft. That is the legal framework TSA inherited when they took over. TSA does several things however that go beyond what many consider to be administrative screening though. Including, but not limited to X-Raying the human body for non medical reasons without medical training as primary screening including pregnant women and children. Touching private areas of the body, including at times children despite denials from TSA. Putting hands inside passengers underwear and feeling around. Legal challenges have been mounted but as we've seen TSA has ignored court rulings for extended periods of time in the past.

All this talk about small knifes on planes... how bout WATER!!! can we bring water through the security line? or maybe can we increase the fluid restrictions so i can bring my 4.4oz bottle of toothpaste with me on my trips? I've gone through security now over a dozen times in the past few weeks. without taking out my toiletries. THE TSA is an 8 BILLION DOLLAR JOKE AND WASTE OF RESOURCES. TSA Employees are PATHETIC.

TSA Blog Team: How is an obviously incomplete comment approved? But valid comments that do not violate posted policy not? Or does comment moderation also go through 20 layers, of which we're not allowed to know?